Kylie Sturgess credits her childhood enthusiasm for the long-running consumer affairs program 'The Investigators' on Australian television for her life-long interest in consumer education, media claims and how we are led to believe 'weird things'.
She graduated in 1997 with a double degree in English Literature and Philosophy (after a foray into Agricultural and Media studies) and a Graduate Diploma in Secondary Teaching. She has taught across a number of schools with different religious denominations, culminating in her first M.Ed specializing in Gifted and Talented Education at Notre Dame Australia.
This interest in belief also drew her to acquire Level 2 accreditation in the Federation of Australasian Philosophy in Schools Association's 'Philosophy / Teacher Educator', as devised by Matthew Lipman and Ann Margaret Sharp at the Institute for the Advancement of Philosophy for Children (IAPC). As a member of the West Australian Philosophy in Schools group, Kylie Sturgess contributes to the new Philosophy and Ethics course in her state as both a writer and presenter. She also implemented a variation on the Western Australian skeptics Awards in her English classes as a part of integrating Science and English learning outcomes.
After ten years as a teacher of English and Philosophy, Kylie Sturgess is currently completing her second M.Ed on superstitious beliefs in younger generations at the University of Western Australia and working on a Graduate Diploma in Psychology. In 2006 she was the runner-up and in 2007 the winner of the Australian Skeptics Prize for Critical Thinking.
Her articles, essays and radio interviews are published nationally and internationally, including The Australian Skeptic, Creative and Critical Thinking Journal, ABC Radio National, Skepticality podcast and various state Science journals. She currently works for the TANK vodcast, with Richard Saunders of www.mysteryinvestigators.com and runs the site www.podblack.com (when not globe-trotting or ballroom dancing).
